FUBiS

FUBiS is the International Summer and Winter University of Freie Universität Berlin, an intensive academic short-term program that takes place in one winter and two summer terms. Students from all over the world can choose between German language courses and subject courses held in English, German, and Spanish. Some courses in the summer terms can be combined with each other, allowing, students to tailor their schedule according to their interests. For their achievements the students receive ECTS credits which they may count toward their degrees at their home universities.

Students from all over the world participate in FUBiS, creating an international environment which promotes the learning and use of intercultural competency skills. Participation in the FUBiS program is an academic, cultural and personal enrichment for students.

FUBiS offers German language courses as well as subject courses. The German language courses are generally offered at five different proficiency levels from beginner to advanced and are suitable for anyone who would like to extensively improve his/her language skills in a short period of time. The subject courses are taught in English, Spanish or German. The FUBiS course offerings cover a variety of different academic disciplines such as politics, history, law, media, arts, and German literature. An overview of the FUBiS courses can be found here.

Our German courses are taught by highly qualified DaF instructors (DaF = German as a foreign language) and have a maximum of 15 students. The courses focus on improving students’ writing and speaking skills. Several class excursions actively integrate the city of Berlin into the course. These excursions, which are accompanied by the respective instructor and are an integral component of the course, give students the chance to practice their language skills in various situations. The German language courses are offered on up to five levels:

A1 - Beginner 1

A2 - Beginner 2

B1 - Intermediate 1

B2 - Intermediate 2

C1 - Advanced

These levels follow the Common European framework of Reference for Languages. An exact description of the course content for each level can be found in the course descriptions of the respective terms.

In order to make sure that you are placed in the class which best suits your language level, FUBiS has developed a three step placement process:

First, you estimate your own level. You will find descriptions of the different levels in the course syllabi on our website.

A few weeks before FUBiS starts, you will take an online placement test. FUBiS will notify you when the test portal is open.

On the first day of class, you will have a short interview with our German language instructors, who will evaluate your speaking skills.

Your German language level will be determined by this three-step process and you will then be placed in the course which best suits your language proficiency level and guarantees you the best learning results.

For students who already speak German fluently (minimum level: Intermediate 2) FUBiS offers subject courses in German during the summer terms. These subject courses can be combined with a German language course.

For the subject courses taught in German there is no separate language test, but in order to guarantee your learning success, it is imperative that you have a language proficiency level of Intermediate 2 or higher.

The faculty of the International Summer and Winter University disposes of a long-standing teaching experience in their respective research fields. Many of our faculty have taught as visiting professors at international universities. For more information about the FUBiS faculty, please click here.

For your participation in the FUBiS program, you will receive credits of Freie Universität Berlin which are calculated following the European Credit Transfer System. This system (ECTS) is based on the principle that 60 credits represent the amount of work done by a full-time student within an academic year. The amount of work includes attending class as well as the individual work and study outside of class. The Academic Senate of the Freie Universität Berlin has stipulated that an ECTS credit of Freie Universität Berlin corresponds to a workload of 30 hours.

Depending on the term and course(s) you take, you may receive between 4 and 9 ECTS credits per FUBiS course.

Please note that every academic institution proceeds by its own directives when accepting study achievements of other academic institutions, so-called "foreign credits.” Therefore, we recommend that you speak with your academic advisor or professor before you register for FUBiS to make sure that the FUBiS credits you receive will be recognized by your home university.

Also note that credits can only be awarded if you are currently or have been enrolled at a university.

The price of the FUBiS program consists of different components which can be combined by the students individually. You can find an overview of the current prices of courses, housing, insurance and excursions here.

Every student receives an official transcript at the end of the FUBiS program. The transcript lists the duration of the program, the course title(s), the number of contact hours, the number of ECTS credits earned, and the grade(s).

FUBiS issues the transcripts approximately 4 weeks following the end of the program. The transcript will be sent to the student’s home address or to the student’s home institution.

It is the student’s responsibility to provide FUBiS with a correct mail address. Students should bear in mind that overseas mail delivery may take two weeks or longer.

As FUBiS is an intensive short-term study program and class attendance is compulsory, longer trips are not possible during the program. If you would like to use your leisure time for a short trip, keep in mind that preparing for your classes also requires time and that your travel plans should not conflict with this. It is advisable to plan a trip within Germany/Europe for the time before or after a FUBiS term rather than during the term. Please understand that FUBiS cannot store the luggage of participants while they are travelling.

If you would like to do an internship before or after your participation in the FUBiS program, you can consider the internship option of our sister program FU-BEST. FU-BEST offers an 8-week internship placement that allows you to gain valuable intercultural experience by immersing yourself in a German workplace. For further information, please click here.